Strangers
"Strangers" is the first issue of the Gargoyles: Bad Guys comic by SLG, and Chapter One of the Redemption story arc. It was released on November 29, 2007. The issue was reprinted in Gargoyles: Bad Guys - Redemption.
| Crew |
|---|
|
Contents
[hide]
Solicitation
Take five of the toughest villains in the Gargoyles Universe – Hunter, Scottish gargoyle-slayer; Dingo, Australian mercenary; Matrix, nanotech hive-mind; Yama, Japanese gargoyle; and Fang, mutate – and force them to work on the side of the angels. It may be hard to believe, but these Bad Guys are the best hope we've got! Bad Guys: time to fight fire with fire!
Summary
Main Plot
As the Redemption Squad approaches their next target, missiles strike and destroy their helicopter.
Two months earlier, Hunter observes Dingo and Matrix in Sydney as they foil a bank heist from the Tazmanian Tiger. Later that night, Dingo and Matrix greet the Shaman at Uluru, where they are confronted by Hunter, who offers the carrot of redemption and the respective sticks of American prison for Dingo and permanent electromagnetic dissolution for Matrix. The two agree to join Hunter’s team, who tells them they are off to Tokyo to catch a Tengu.
Subplots
In the time since "Walkabout", Dingo has been dubbed “The Hero of Oz”.
Matrix reveals that for Dingo to effectively control his armor, Matrix must make an insertion into Dingo’s spine.
The Story
Under a waning Moon, the helicopter Redemption approaches a mysterious island at night. Inside the vehicle, The Redemption Squad is preparing for battle. Yama sharpens his katana, Fang and Dingo prepare their firearms, and Matrix has formed an arm into a boombox which plays "The Will To Love". Dingo is disgruntled. He can't believe their leader is risking their lives again after they barely survived the last time. He decides to confront her. Moving to the cockpit, he announces to their pilot and leader, Hunter, that he is quitting and will not go on another suicide mission. Hunter puts the helicopter on autopilot and turns to Dingo. As Matrix's music continues to play, Hunter makes it clear that if Dingo refuses to go on the mission that he will go directly to prison. Dingo tells her that he won't go quietly. Hunter responds by shoving her gun into his gut. She doesn't want to hurt him . . . again. Dingo, irritated, claims that she was lucky the last time and it'll be different now. "In. Your. Dreams." Hunter says mockingly. From the passenger area, Fang jokes that the two humans are "steaming up the portholes". Matrix, with the boombox dissolving away, addresses Hunter to ask if she thinks the target knows they are coming. Suddenly, a loud alarm blares! "I'll take that as a big 'yes'!" yells Fang. Three missiles have been fired at the helicopter. They hit their target in a huge explosion and the wreckage of the Redemption falls into the ocean below . . . .
Two months earlier, in Sydney, Australia, pedestrians walk along the city streets. A man on a bench outside of a bank listens to "The Will To Love" on his boombox. Suddenly, the peace is broken by an explosion that throws open the banks doors and drops pedestrians off their knees. A thylacine walks out of the building and growls at a mohawked man. A voice cautions the man to make no sudden moves and then congratulates him on being the first to encounter none other than the Tazmanian Tiger himself!. The villain is costumed, masked, armed, and accompanied by two thylacines. A bag is slung over his shoulder. The civilians suddenly spot something approaching by air. They are not sure what it is – is it a kookaburra, is it a missile? But as it nears, Tazmanian Tiger identifies his foe: "It's Dingo!" He fires his gun at the armored hero to little effect. As Hunter watches the scene from a nearby rooftop above them, Dingo compliments the villain on his aim and then asks if it is his turn. "Not yet, mate!" shouts the Tazmanian Tiger. He orders his thylacines, Benjamin and Natasha, to attack. The animals leap at Dingo and bite at his armor, the Tazmanian Tiger explains how hungry they are after being extinct for sixty years! Dingo notes that the beasts will not be able to get through his armor, especially since it is more than just a suit. Two new arms form out of the back of the armor and grab hold of the thylacines by the scruff of their necks! Dingo tells his companion, who is Matrix currently in armor form, to go easy on the beasts. He's not sure where their adversary found two extinct animals, but they don't want to hurt them. Matrix, following Dingo's guidance, forms his arms into collars and muzzles on the thylacines and Dingo leashes them to a nearby tree. Tazmanian Tiger takes advantage of the heroes' distraction and uses a clawed hand to swipe Dingo and Matrix across their back. The two heroes simultaneously scream in pain, but quickly recover. Dingo turns and backhands Tazmanian Tiger across the face, then follows with a punch to the gut and another under the chin. The villain falls to the street unconscious as police cars arrive on the scene. The mohawked man calls Dingo "The Hero of Oz" and Dingo thanks him and compliments his hair. With Dingo's work done, he and Matrix depart as the pedestrians wave and express their gratitude.
Dingo and Matrix fly far above the city, then over the countryside and eventually to Uluru in the Australian Outback. They land besides a campfire tended to by the Shaman. As Matrix removes himself from Dingo's body, the Shaman asks how they did and if they did good. Matrix reports that they upheld law and order. Dingo agrees, happy to consider himself a real hero again, unlike his days with the Pack where they perform as heroes but were really just thugs. Matrix's grown as well, Dingo adds, who started off as a "science experiment gone wrong!" Matrix disagrees, explaining it was successful at creating order from chaos. Now it pursues law and order with similar success. Dingo changes the subject and asks why he was able to feel pain when the bad guy clawed at Matrix's armor form. Matrix explains that in order for Dingo to use Matrix as armor, the two must be linked by Matrix inserting itself into Dingo's spine. This caused damage in Matrix to be interpreted as pain for Dingo. The man is appalled – he certainly didn't agree to that. He insists that there will be no more "inserting". Matrix points out that this decision will impact their ability to pursue law and order. Dingo doesn't care, believing it to be for the best. After all, Matrix was screaming as well. "The pain was instructive," says Matrix and the Shaman agrees that pain often is.
"Then prepare for an education," says Hunter arriving at the scene. She announces that Dingo, or Harry Monmouth, is under arrest. Dingo asks if she is a bounty hunter and she replies that she is only a Hunter. Dingo explains that her intelligence is out of date: he's a good guy now. "Not in New York," replies Hunter, explaining that Dingo has broken laws in the United States. Matrix and the Shaman are stunned. Dingo calls for Matrix to merge with him, but the artificial intelligence backs away and points out that Dingo insisted that they not link. Dingo is annoyed and Hunter tells him that he is on his own. They both pull out their guns and take aim. Hunter fires first and shoots the gun out of Dingo's hand. She then leaps toward the man, dodging Dingo's thrown boomerang along the way, and kicks him in the stomach. He throws her off of him and she then deflects a punch. She attempts another kick to his face, but he grabs her ankle. She instead kicks him in the chin with her other foot, flips backwards, lands on her feet, and catches Dingo's boomerang.
Meanwhile, the Shaman tells Matrix that Dingo will be unable to fight for law and order if he is in prison. Matrix agrees to this logic and begins to merge with Dingo. Before Matrix can fully enclose Dingo's body, Hunter slaps a device on to their chest and a high pitched whine is heard. Matrix is frozen and Dingo with him. Hunter explains that it is a short-range Elecromagnetic Pulse Grenade and Matrix will be unavailable for a few minutes. It's time to talk. She offers Dingo two choices: he can either go to prison or join her team. Dingo is disgusted. He has already gone the super-villain route, he explains. Hunter says that she has too, and that this isn't an offer for that, but instead a chance to fight for the good guys and gain redemption. The Shaman listens closely as Dingo explains that they have already been doing that. Why should he join her? As the helicopter Redemption lands nearby, Hunter explains that she has connections and resources and together they can do a lot of good. On the other hand, if he disagrees, then it is prison for him and permanent E. M. dissolution for Matrix.
Dingo can't believe he is being blackmailed into being a good guy, but Hunter insists she is doing it to help him. The Shaman and Matrix (who has again gained his mobility) both agree that Hunter's offer has merit. Dingo's shocked that Matrix is no longer dormant, oblivious that the helicopter's arrival should have tipped him off. Before Dingo can oppose, Matrix eagerly accepts Hunter's offer. Dingo reluctantly agrees as well and asks where they are going as the trio leave the Shaman behind and move toward the helicopter. Hunter replies that they are off to Tokyo to hunt a "tengu". Dingo asks what a tengu is and Hunter only smiles as they board the Redemption.
Left in the dark, Dingo wonders aloud, "What's the worst that could happen?"
Review
by Todd W. Jensen.
Of the different projected spin-offs listed in Greg Weisman's Master Plan, Bad Guys had always interested me the least, mainly because it seemed the closest one on the list to straightforward action-adventure. But I still decided to get the comic book when it came out. It was set in the Gargoyles Universe, buying it helped support the comic line, Karine Charlebois (whose work on #5 I had greatly admired) was drawing it, and the regulars were all intriguing, especially Dingo and Yama.
After purchasing and reading the first chapter in the spin-off, I can say that it's indeed worth it, and that I am glad I gave it a try.
"Strangers" opens with an already-formed Redemption Squad on its way to another mission. Dingo, exasperated with just how dangerous these missions have become, confronts Hunter (a.k.a. Robyn Canmore) on the matter, only to discover just how prepared she can be in quelling mutinies. In the middle of the argument, however, the Squad's airship is destroyed by missiles...
The comic then moves on to the main story, set two months earlier. Dingo and Matrix have now become a popular super-hero team in Australia, following up from "Walkabout", and proceed to defeat the Tazmanian Tiger, a conventional costumed super-villain assisted by a pair of thylacines named Benjamin and Natasha. While the Tazmanian Tiger must count as the corniest antagonist yet in the Gargoyles Universe – I was initially astonished that such a character would ever appear in Gargoyles – he still turns out to be formidable enough to penetrate Dingo's Matrix-provided armor with his claws, before he is finally defeated.
Despite Dingo's triumph, he and Matrix still have some difficulties working together, as is revealed when Dingo learns the technical details of their partnership and is understandably less than enthusiastic. But things grow even worse when Hunter appears and gives Dingo and Matrix the choice: team up with her as part of the new Redemption Squad, or else Dingo gets extradited to the U.S. to stand trial for the crimes he committed while a member of the Pack, and Matrix gets permanently disposed of via electromagnetic pulse. Dingo is less than enthusiastic, but to his surprise and alarm, Matrix is intrigued enough by Robyn's offer to accept. So Dingo has to join as well. The new team of three sets off for Tokyo to hunt a tengu...
Dingo, Matrix, Robyn Canmore, and the Shaman from "Walkabout" are well-characterized in this issue. Particular highlights include Dingo's desire to be a genuine hero, Matrix's bewildered response towards Dingo's objection towards having part of itself plugged into his body, and Robyn's calm, professional attitude and resourcefulness. (The computerish lettering style of Matrix's words is also a nice touch.) I look forward to issue #2, where we will meet Yama. A fine beginning to the first spin-off of Gargoyles.
Featured Characters and First Appearances
| Places | Objects | Miscellaneous |
|---|---|---|
|
Quotes
- "Look! Up in the air!"
- "It's a giant kookaburra!"
- "It's a bloody missile!"
- "It's Dingo!" - Sydney pedestrians and the Tazmanian Tiger
- "Mama, do all dingos fly? - Australian boy
- "You were explicit. We must not link"
- "Really not the best time for I told you sos" - Dingo and Matrix
Continuity
- Dingo, Matrix, and the Shaman make their first appearance since "Walkabout". Robyn Canmore makes her first appearance since "Hunter's Moon" Part Three. Yama makes his first appearance since "Bushido". Fang makes his first appearance since "The Reckoning".
Tidbits
The Redemption Squad's mission on the opening pages is based on the Bad Guys Leica reel, that has been shown at past Gatherings (including the detail of Matrix listening to a boom box formed from himself).
The song playing during the Redemption Squad and Sydney scenes is "The Will To Love", originally written by Greg Weisman for Season Two of the animated series W.I.T.C.H.
Dingo's entrance is accompanied by an Australian-style parody of the familiar "Look, up in the sky!..." quote from Superman.
Thylacines (also known as Tasmanian wolves or Tasmanian tigers) are (or were) real mammals, native to Tasmania until the last one died in 1934. There have been rumored sightings of these animals in Tasmania, so perhaps they are not extinct after all – certainly they have been brought back from the zoological graveyard in the Gargoyles Universe, although how is not revealed until "Estranged", where it is hinted that Sevarius was responsible.
The mother and child in the Sydney scenes were modeled upon Karine Charlebois and her son, Matthieu.
Dingo's real name, Harry Monmouth, is revealed here. This is another reference to Shakespeare; the original Harry Monmouth was Prince Hal (aka Henry V), so called because he was born in the town of Monmouth in Wales. In Shakespeare's history plays, Hal spends his time as Prince of Wales consorting with Falstaff and his cronies, roistering at the Boar's Head Tavern in Eastcheap and participating in various pranks (including even a highway robbery at Gad's Hill), to the despair of his father, Henry IV; to everyone's surprise, however, he proves himself more promising than he appears when he first defeats and slays the rebellious Hotspur at the Battle of Shrewsbury, and then, after being crowned King of England, breaks with Falstaff and his crew and wins a great victory over the French at the Battle of Agincourt. The significance of this name becomes clear in "Strangled".
"Strangers" is the first issue of the series Gargoyles: Bad Guys. It shares some similarities with "Awakening: Part One", the first episode of the original Gargoyles series, in that both stories begin in media res and then roll back time in order to introduce the protagonists.
The Tazmanian Tiger's pet thylacines are named Benjamin and Natasha (Benjamin having been the name of the last thylacine kept in captivity before the species' extinction). Perhaps coincidentally, two human characters introduced in the following issue, "The Lost", are named Benny and Tasha.
See Also
| Next Episode: "Redemption" Chapter Two: "The Lost" >> |
